Marking device for sunken vessels.



H. LOTZ.

MARKING DEVICE FOR SUNKEN VESSELS. APPLICATION men own. 1916.

Lg G Patented Aug. 28, 1917.

nanny Lo'rz, or rnovrnnncn,

A ATN Flfit RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE LOTZ PROTECTOR AND SALVAGECOMPANY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, vA. CORPORATION OF ODE ISLAN 1D.

MARKING DEVICE FOR SUNKEN VESSE'LS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 28, 191i We Application filed December 23, 1916. SerialNo. 138,552.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY Lotrz, a subject of the Czar of Russia,residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of RhodeIsland,' have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mark ingDevices for Sunken Vessels; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

This invention relates to improvements in marking devices for sunkenvessels.

- The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofmarking devices for sunken vessels and to provide a simple, practicaland eificient marking device of strong, durable and comparativelyinexpensive construction designed for use in connection with a devicefor hoisting safes from sunken vessels shown and described in acompanion application executed by me of even date herewith.

A further object of the invention is to provide a marking device of thischaracter adapted to be arranged upon a vessel exteriorly of the samesoas to float off of the vessel in event of the sinking of the vessel andcapable of assuming an upright position in the water and ofautomatically closing a circuit for causing an electric lamp to.

glow, so that the marking device may be seen at night as well as in theday time.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the claimshereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form,proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope ofthe claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a marking device constructed inaccordance withthis invention and shown arranged in position forautomatic operation.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view illustrating thearrangement of the parts of the marking device when the latter is in anupright position.

Like numerals of. reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawing.

In the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated'the preferredembodiment of the invention, the marking device comprises initsconstruction a buoy 1 consisting of a hollow tapering body or shellof suitable material rounded at the bottom at 2 and having a truncatedupper end 3 upon which is mounted an electric light a rotated within aprotecting cage 5* and a suitable globe 6 of glass or other transparentmaterial and which may be of any desired color and which may contain anysuitable indicating mark for identifying it with a vessel with which itis connected. The shell is provided at the bottom with spaced eyes 7 andit is designed to be connected with a guide rope or line 8 havingbranches 9 secured to the said eyes. The guide line 8 is designed toextend to the coupling member of the aforesaid application butthe buoyor marking device may be employed in connection with other means forconnecting it with a sunken vessel or other spot or obJect to be markedas will be readily understood.

The electric light is connected by suitable conducting wires orconductors 10 and 11 with-.a battery 12 and with a contact13. Aconducting wire 10 is secured to one of the poles of the battery 12 andthe other pole of the battery is connected by a wire or conductor 14:with a contact 15. The contacts 13 and 15 are located in opposite sidesof a downwardly tapered depending vertical terminal portion 16 of aninclined tube 17 forming a guide for a ball 18 normally located at theouter end of the tube in the dot- I marking device is arranged in thehorizontal position as illustrated in Fig. 1. When in this position thetube extends downwardly but when the buoy assumes an upri ht position inthe water the tube is placed in an inclining position and the ball rollsdown the inclined tube and establishes an electrical connection betweenthe contacts 13 and 15. The ball may be of any suitable metal and whilethe movable contact member or ball is preferably round as shown it maybe of any other desired form. The tube is provided at its outer end witha removable closure 17 preferably in the form of a plug and the shell orbody of the buoy is provided with a manhole or hand hole is and asuitable closure 19 for the frame.

A battery is arranged in a suitable sup port composed of spaced members20 and extending above and adapted to support the battery out of contactwith the guide tube. The spaced supports are connected with the sides ofthe shell by suitable braces 21 and the up er portion of the body of theshell is pre erably braced by rods or bracing members 22 having aplurality of crossed inclined bracing portions arranged at an angle andsecuredto the shell at opposite sides thereof at the terminals of theinclined porfrom being accidentally placed in an upright position andthereby consuming the energy. of the battery unnecessarilya The hollowshell body may of course be flattened at the bottom to enable it to beplaced in an upright position if desired.

What is claimed is 1. A marking device for sunken vessels including ahollow tapered buoy having a rounded bottom portion adapted to preventit from being placed in an upright position on a supporting surface, anelectric circuit having spaced contacts, an electric light arranged inthe said circuit, a battery also connected in the said circuit, aninclined guide extending to the spaced contacts and a movable contactmounted in the guide and arranged to be directed to the spaced contactsby the guide when the buoy is in an upright position and maintained outof engagement with the said contacts by gravity when the buoy is placedin a horizontal position.

2. A'marking device of the class described including a buoy consistingof a hollow tapered shell truncated at one end and rounded at the other,an electric. circuit arranged within the buoy, an electric light mountedon the truncated end of the buoy, means contained within the buoy forguiding a movable contact into engagement with the spaced contact whenthe buoy is arranged inan upright position, a lobe covering the electriclight and the [age secured to the buoy and retaining the globe inposition. 7

3. A marking device for sunken vessels including a hollow buoy, anelectric circuit contained within the buo and having spaced contacts, anelectric lig t arranged in the said circuit, an inclined guide tubeextending from one side of the buoy downwardly and inwardly and having aterminal portion carrying the said spaced contacts, a movable contactoperatingwithin the said tube and a closure for the outer end of thetube.

4. A marking device for .sunken vessels including a hollow tapered shellrounded at the bottom and provided thereat with means for connecting aline to the shell, bracing members extending longitudinally of the shelland having oppositely inclined crossed portions secured at theirterminals to the flange of the shell, an electric circuit containedwithin the shell and provided with means for automatically closingitwhen the shell is in an upright position and an electric light carriedby the shell and arranged in the said circuit.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY LOTZ.

Witnesses:

M. I. LEWIS, BENNETT S. Jones.

